170 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
There is a popular belief, which has, rightly or wrongly, 
gained ground of late, that most rarities are blown across or 
accidently conveyed to our shores from the Continent. I do not 
dispute the possibility of Detopeia pulchella paying us a visit by 
the latter means; indeed, considering the quantity of fruit and 
flowers imported to England, it is a matter for wonder that we 
do not more often see continental species on our coasts; but to 
any one acquainted with the weak and uncertain flight of this 
moth, it must be obvious that a journey of thirty miles on the 
wing, even backed by a favouring wind, is a physical im- 
possibility. Even allowing that a percentage of our known 
specimens are conveyed to England—and naturally we 8.E. 
coast Hntomologists have to bear the brunt of this doubt 
especially— we cannot account by similar reasoning for those 
taken on the Cornish, Devonshire, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, and 
Yorkshire coasts. Is it not probable that D. pulchella is a lover 
of any sea coast? and its food-plant (Myosotis arvensis) being 
universal, would not interfere with this supposition. 
The late Mr. Sidebotham, writing to Mr. Tugwell (Entom. xi., 
186), intimates that this species prefers the coast at Mentone, where, 
he says, ‘‘it is more abundant.” Mr. Tugwell then confirms its 
partiality for the seaside in our own country, and I find (Kntom. 
xiv., 157) a record of the capture of a specimen by Mr. C. B. 
Ussher, at Ardmore, Co. Waterford coast, Ireland. It is not my 
wish or intention to deny that by far the greater number of 
captures have been effected on our sea coasts, but it is my firm 
belief that this is a matter of habit and natural selection on the 
part of D. pulchella; and I am of opinion that the species is 
established and breeds in England, taking a coast line by 
preference. 
My own specimen was taken, as previously stated, nearly 
four miles from the sea, but I find that on Oct. 1st, 1869, 
Mr. T. H. Briggs took one on a farm in the Alkham Valley 
whilst out shooting, within three-quarters of a mile of my 
locality (Entom. iv., 352), and on Oct. 28th, 1874, Mr. C. A. 
Briggs, his brother, took another on the same farm, and within 
a similar distance of my own capture. During the last twenty 
years many other specimens have been taken on our §S.E. 
coast and around Folkestone and Dover; and may we not 
reasonably suppose that the Alkam Valley, and entire surrounding 
